Editor's note: State Rep. Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage, issued the following statement in response to the Kalamazoo Gazette editorial posted on MLive this morning:

A courageous vote reflects a person’s conscience and the values of the people she is elected to represent rather than potential personal gain. I find it deeply disappointing that the Kalamazoo Gazette is buying into the notion that all women have the exact same view on abortion and refuses to acknowledge that women are as diverse in thought as men. Regardless of gender, men and women both have deeply held convictions on a variety of issues.

I voted my conscience and voted yes on the citizen-initiated law. I continue to promote policies that protect girls and women, such as committing more resources to the fight against human trafficking and ensuring our laws presume the innocence of such victims.

In the name of women’s health, I would also like to point out that this law includes an exception for life of the mother. It also makes no changes to coverage for emergency contraception. Abortion is NOT a woman’s only option after she is sexually assaulted, nor should we expect that all women would choose that option.